HOLY CROSS CLOSES OUT NON-CONFERENCE SLATE AGAINST COLUMBIA: The Crusaders will play their final non-conference game of the 2012-2013 campaign when they face Columbia at the Hart Center on Tuesday, Jan. 8, at 7:00 p.m. Holy Cross then opens its 23rd season of competition in the Patriot League on Saturday, Jan. 12, when it travels to Lehigh for a 2:00 p.m. contest which will be shown live on the CBS Sports Network. The Crusaders will follow that with a road game at Navy on Wednesday, Jan. 16, at 7:00 p.m.

THE SERIES WITH COLUMBIA: This will be only the 12th meeting between the Crusaders and the Lions on the hardwood, with Columbia leading the all-time series 7-4. The Lions have won three straight and five of the last six games in the series, although the teams have met only once since 1998. For contests played in Worcester, the Crusaders hold a 3-2 advantage. Holy Cross and Columbia first met on Dec. 17, 1947, when the Lions won 60-53 at home to snap the Crusaders' 26-game winning streak.

DUDZINSKI PLAYS BIG DOWN LOW: Junior forward Dave Dudzinski (Elburn, Ill.) is once again a key player for the Crusaders in the low post positions this year. In 14 games played, he has averaged a team-best 15.3 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per contest, while connecting 50.0 percent (78 of 156) of his field goals and 82.3 percent (51 of 62) of his free throws. During the Yale game, Dudzinski totaled 18 points, nine rebounds and four blocked shots. Previously at Boston College, he recorded 15 points, six rebounds and two blocks. Dudzinski also had a huge night at San Francisco, totaling a career-high 31 points, seven rebounds and two blocks. Some of his other top games this year have come against Harvard (22 points), Morgan State (20 points, eight rebounds), New Hampshire (19 points, eight rebounds, three steals), Sacred Heart (19 points, five rebounds), Hartford (13 points, career-high 15 rebounds, three assists), St. John's (12 points, five rebounds), Providence (11 points, eight rebounds), Maine (10 points, nine rebounds) and Dartmouth (10 points, four rebounds). In 29 games played last season, Dudzinski averaged 9.4 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.1 blocks, while making 48.7 percent (97 of 199) of his field goal attempts and 83.1 percent of his free throws (69 of 83). During the 2010-2011 campaign, he was named to the Patriot League All-Rookie team, after averaging 4.6 points and 2.8 rebounds in 27 games played, while hitting 54.8 percent (51 of 93) of his field goal attempts. Over the course of his collegiate career, Dudzinski has now totaled 610 points, 351 rebounds and 59 blocked shots, while connecting on 50.4 percent (226 of 448) of his field goals and 79.5 percent (136 of 171) of his free throws.

BEANS PLAYS KEY MINUTES IN THE POST: Senior center Phil Beans (Toledo, Ohio) is once again playing a key role for Holy Cross in the paint this season. In 12 games played, Beans has averaged 9.3 points and 4.3 rebounds per contest, while making 41.3 percent (19 of 46) of his shots from three-point range. During the victory over Dartmouth, he recorded 18 points and three rebounds, while hitting four of six shots from three-point range. Previously at Sacred Heart, Beans totaled 18 points, five rebounds and two assists, and made six of nine field goal attempts. He also had a big game against Maine, leading the team with a career-high 19 points and eight rebounds. Beans previously earned All-Tournament honors at the Liberty Tax Classic after averaging 8.7 points and 5.7 rebounds per game, including 17 points and six rebounds against Morgan State. In 28 games last year, he averaged 6.3 points and 3.5 rebounds per contest, while making 36.8 percent (21 of 57) of his three-point field goal attempts. Over the course of his Holy Cross career, Beans has now recorded 331 points, 191 rebounds and 21 blocked shots.

BURRELL LEADS HOLY CROSS FROM THE POINT: Sophomore Justin Burrell (Dumfries, Va.) is now in his second season as Holy Cross' starting point guard, after being selected as the 2011-2012 Patriot League Rookie of the Year. Through 14 games played this season, he has averaged 13.1 points, 2.6 assists and 2.1 rebounds per contest, while hitting 93.3 percent (28 of 30) of his free throws. During the Yale game, Burrell totaled 17 points, three assists and two rebounds. Previously at Harvard, he posted 13 points, two rebounds and two assists. Burrell also had a huge night at Sacred Heart, recording a career-high 30 points, five assists and three rebounds, while making 11 of 15 field goal attempts, four of six three-pointers and all four of his free throws. A few of his other top performances this season came against Dartmouth (19 points, four assists), Texas-San Antonio (17 points, three rebounds, two steals), Morgan State (16 points, four assists), Old Dominion (15 points, six rebounds), San Francisco (15 points), St. John's (12 points, five assists) and Hartford (10 points, three assists). Burrell started all 29 of the Crusaders' games last year, averaging 7.4 points, 3.7 assists and 2.0 rebounds per contest, and hitting 77.4 percent (65 of 84) of his free throw attempts. Over the course of his Holy Cross career, Burrell has now totaled 397 points, 142 assists, 88 rebounds and 27 steals, while making 81.6 percent (93 of 114) of his free throws.

CRUSADERS AT THE HART CENTER: Holy Cross currently owns an all-time record of 333-133 at the Hart Center, including a 3-1 mark so far this year. The Crusaders posted their 300th win in the building against Sacred Heart on Nov. 14, 2008. Holy Cross had a 23-game winning streak at the Hart Center from Feb. 15, 2006-Jan. 2, 2008, which was the longest streak in the history of the building and the sixth-longest home court winning streak in the nation at the time. In 2006-2007 the Crusaders posted a perfect 14-0 mark at the Hart Center, setting a school record for the most home victories since they moved into the building. During the Hart Center's history, Holy Cross has posted a winning record at home in 31 out of 37 seasons, while recording double-figure home victories 17 times. The Crusaders stand 120-41 at home since the beginning of the 2000-2001 season, including a 76-20 record against Patriot League foes.

YALE RECAP: Dave Dudzinski scored 18 points on eight of 14 shooting from the field, but Holy Cross was downed by Yale 61-54 at the Hart Center on Jan. 4, 2013. Dudzinski also finished the game with team highs of nine rebounds and four blocked shots for the Crusaders. Justin Burrell totaled 17 points and three assists on the night, while Jordan Stevens added eight points, six assists and five rebounds. The Bulldogs were led by Armani Cotton, who posted a double-double with 20 points and 12 rebounds, while hitting all 10 of his free throw attempts. The Crusaders held an early 6-2 lead in the first half, before Yale scored the next 11 points to pull in front by seven (13-6). The Bulldogs increased their lead to 11 points (19-8), when Holy Cross responded with an 18-4 run to pull back in front 26-23 with 3:44 left to play before the break. The score remained close for the rest of the half, before Yale took a 31-29 advantage into the locker room. The Bulldogs increased their lead to six points (47-41) with 8:06 left in regulation, before the Crusaders came back to tie up the game at 51-51 on a pair of free throws by Dudzinski with 2:45 remaining. Yale scored the next six points to pull back in front, but after a three-pointer by Phil Beans, Holy Cross had the ball down by three (57-54) with less than a minute to play. A three-point attempt by Burrell was blocked on that possession, and the Bulldogs then hit all four of its free throws in the final minute to hold on for the win. The Crusaders made 40.4 percent (19 of 47) of their field goal attempts on the night, while holding Yale to 32.2 percent (19 of 59) shooting overall and 13.6 percent (three of 22) shooting from three-point range. But Holy Cross also committed a season-high 23 turnovers and allowed the Bulldogs to grab 19 offensive rebounds.

HOLY CROSS AGAINST THE IVY LEAGUE: The Crusaders have enjoyed a decent amount of success against schools from the Ivy League over the last 13 years. Holy Cross stands 25-22 against Ivy League foes since the beginning of the 1999-2000 season. The Crusaders have lost five of their last nine games against Ivy League opponents, including a 1-2 mark this season (defeating Dartmouth, and falling to Harvard and Yale). Holy Cross owns an all-time record of 199-124 against the eight schools which are members of the Ivy League (43-17 vs. Brown, 4-7 against Columbia, 3-2 vs. Cornell, 68-31 against Dartmouth, 41-25 vs. Harvard, 3-3 against Pennsylvania, 2-7 vs. Princeton and 35-32 against Yale).

STEVENS STEPS INTO STARTING ROLE: Senior guard Jordan Stevens (Gansevoort, N.Y.) has taken over as a starter for the Crusaders on the wing this year, after serving as a key reserve last season. In 14 games played this year, he has averaged 6.2 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.1 steals per contest. During the victory over Maine, Stevens posted his first career double-double with 13 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. He previously had 14 points, four rebounds and four steals against Texas-San Antonio. Stevens also scored nine points at Hartford, while recording seven points and two rebounds in the victory over Morgan State. In 28 games played in 2011-2012, he averaged 5.1 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.1 assists, while making 44.0 percent (22 of 50) of his three-point field goal attempts. As a sophomore in 2010-2011, Stevens averaged 7.1 points and 2.3 rebounds per game. Over the course of his collegiate career, he has now totaled 433 points, 178 rebounds and 111 assists, while connecting on 32.0 percent (64 of 200) of his three-point field goal attempts.

HOLY CROSS SHINES ON THE DEFENSIVE END: The Crusaders have once again been a strong defensive team so far this season. Through 14 games played, Holy Cross has given up only 61.1 points per contest, while holding the opposition to 40.2 percent shooting from the field and 26.2 percent shooting from three-point range. The Crusaders are also averaging 4.1 blocked shots per game, and are outrebounding the opposition by 1.4 boards per contest. In addition, Holy Cross has held six of its 14 opponents to 60 points or less this season. Last year, the Crusaders ranked first in the Patriot League in three-point field goal percentage defense (30.5 percent) and blocked shots (4.4 blocks per game), while holding their opponents to 66.8 points per game and 42.1 percent field goal shooting overall.

THE LAST MEETING WITH COLUMBIA: Columbia's Mark Cisco hit a free throw with 2.4 seconds remaining, to break a 45-45 tie and lift the Lions to a 46-45 victory over Holy Cross at Levien Gymnasium on Dec. 6, 2011. The Crusaders held Columbia to just 24.6 percent shooting on the night, but committed 18 turnovers and allowed the Lions to grab 13 offensive rebounds. Columbia also shot 16 free throws in the second half, to just three for Holy Cross. On the night, the Crusaders were called for 18 fouls, while the Lions were whistled for just nine fouls. The game was tied at 2-2 early on when the Crusaders went on an 11-1 run to pull in front by 10, with Malcolm Miller scoring five points during that spurt. Holy Cross was up by seven (20-13) with 7:36 left until the break, before closing out the half with a 10-1 run to extend its lead to 30-14 heading into the locker room. The Crusaders increased their lead to 20 points (35-15) early in the second half, when the Lions went on a 15-0 run to get back into the game. Columbia eventually came all the way back to tie the score at 41-41, and the game was still tied at 45-45 with less than a minute to play. After Holy Cross missed a potential game-winning shot with 2.4 seconds remaining, the Crusaders were called for a foul on the rebound. Cisco then hit one-of-two free throws to give the Lions their only lead of the game. R.J. Evans had eight points and seven rebounds on the night, with Dave Dudzinski adding eight points and five boards. Cisco led Columbia with 14 points and eight rebounds.

HOLY CROSS NAMES CAPTAINS: Senior center Phil Beans, sophomore guard Justin Burrell and junior forward Dave Dudzinski are serving as the Crusaders' captains for the 2012-2013 season. These three players have taken over the leadership role from Devin Brown and R.J. Evans, who were the Crusaders' captains during the 2011-2012 campaign.

CRUSADERS PICKED FOURTH IN PRESEASON POLL: In the 2012-2013 Patriot League preseason poll, Holy Cross was picked to finish in fourth place in voting by the conference's head coaches and sports information directors. The Crusaders received 55 total points in the conference preseason poll, to tie with Lafayette for fourth place. Lehigh placed first in the poll with 96 total points and 12 first-place votes, followed by Bucknell in second with 88 points and four first-place votes, and American in third with 66 points. The preseason rankings were rounded out by Army (sixth, 47 points), Colgate (seventh, 26 points) and Navy (eighth, 15 points).

HAMILTON STARTS CAREER STRONG: Freshman guard Cullen Hamilton (Washington, D.C.) has been a key player for the Crusaders off the bench this year. Hamilton is currently averaging 5.3 points and 2.6 rebounds per game. During the victory over Dartmouth, he recorded 10 points, five rebounds and three assists. Hamilton previously scored 11 points in the win over New Hampshire. He also totaled 15 points and four rebounds in the season opener at Old Dominion, including the game-winning free throw with 8.9 seconds remaining. His 15 points were the most by a Holy Cross player in his collegiate debut since R.J. Evans scored 15 points against Sacred Heart in 2008.

MILLER MAKES PRESENCE FELT ON THE WING: Sophomore forward Malcolm Miller (Laytonsville, Md.) has become one of the top perimeter players for the Crusaders. In 14 games played so far this season, he has averaged 5.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.0 blocks per contest. During the Boston College game, Miller posted a career-high 13 points, four rebounds and two steals. Previously at San Francisco, he totaled eight points, six rebounds and two assists. Earlier in the season, Miller recorded 10 points and seven rebounds against New Hampshire, while scoring 10 points against Texas-San Antonio. As a freshman in 2011-2012, he averaged 2.4 points and 2.1 rebounds per game. Over the course of his collegiate career, Miller has now totaled 125 points, 117 rebounds, 34 assists, 24 blocked shots and 17 steals.

OBEYSEKERE STEPS UP ON FRONT LINE: Senior forward Eric Obeysekere (Orinda, Calif.) has developed into a solid presence for the Crusaders in the low post. After missing the first four games of the season due to injury, he has averaged 5.6 points, 6.3 rebounds and 0.8 blocks over the last nine contests. During the Boston College game, Obeysekere led the team with a career-high 17 points and six rebounds, while hitting seven of eight field goal attempts. Previously at Harvard, he posted six points and five rebounds. A few of Obeysekere's other top games this year have come against Providence (eight points, seven rebounds, two assists), San Francisco (four points, eight rebounds) and Hartford (two points, 10 rebounds). Last season, he averaged 3.4 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game. In 2010-2011, Obeysekere averaged 4.7 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per contest. Over the course of his career with the Crusaders, he has now totaled 290 points, 385 rebounds and 106 blocked shots.

BROWN NOW IN THIRD YEAR WITH CRUSADERS: Milan Brown is in his third season as the head coach at Holy Cross in 2012-2013, with an overall record of 30-42 and a 16-12 mark in Patriot League regular season games. With the win over Army on Feb. 9, 2011, he recorded the 100th victory of his collegiate head coaching career. Brown's overall career record now stands at 125-162 (.436). The 16th head coach in the history of the program, he came to Holy Cross after spending the previous seven seasons as head coach at Mount St. Mary's. During his final three years at Mount St. Mary's, Brown led the Mountaineers to three straight winning seasons and a pair of postseason appearances. His teams posted a 54-44 record (.551) during those three years, including a 35-19 mark (.648) in Northeast Conference play. During the 2007-2008 campaign, Brown led Mount St. Mary's to the first NCAA Division I Tournament victory in school history (69-60 over Coppin State).

TRADITION OF EXCELLENCE: This year marks the 94th season of Holy Cross men's basketball. The Crusaders own an overall record of 1321-891 (.597), while making 24 postseason tournament appearances — 12 trips to the NCAA Tournament and 12 to the National Invitation Tournament. In the history of collegiate basketball, Holy Cross is one of only 16 schools to have won the NCAA Tournament (1946-1947) as well as the National Invitational Tournament (1953-1954). Throughout its history, Holy Cross has had six first team All-America selections, sent 10 players to the National Basketball Association, had four players inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, had 23 players drafted by professional teams, had three players go on to coach professionally, and had 15 players who have coached in college.

CRUSADERS IN THE RECORD BOOKS: Two current Holy Cross players have already earned spots in the school's all-time record book. Senior forward Eric Obeysekere currently ranks fifth all-time at Holy Cross in career blocked shots (106). In addition, senior guard Jordan Stevens tied the all-time school single-game record for three-point field goal percentage when he hit all four of his attempts from behind the arc against Hartford on Nov. 23, 2011.

HOLY CROSS IN THE NCAA STATISTICS: The Crusaders are currently ranked among the NCAA Division I leaders in six statistical categories, through games of Jan. 6. In addition, junior forward Dave Dudzinski stands among the best in the nation in five individual categories. The rankings:

Category

Rank

Player / Team

Avg.

Three-Point Percent Defense

6

Holy Cross

26.2

Free Throw Percent

18

Holy Cross

75.8

128

Dave Dudzinski

82.3

Scoring Defense

74

Holy Cross

61.1

Field Goal Percent

99

Dave Dudzinski

50.0

Field Goal Percent Defense

99

Holy Cross

40.2

Blocked Shots

117

Holy Cross

4.1

189

Dave Dudzinski

1.3

Fewest Personal Fouls

119

Holy Cross

16.9

Rebounding

162

Dave Dudzinski

7.4

Scoring

193

Dave Dudzinski

15.3

HOLY CROSS ON THE RADIO: Ten of the Crusaders' basketball contests during the 2012-2013 season will be carried by Emmanuel Radio, WNEB 1230 AM in Worcester. Holy Cross Hall of Famer Bob Fouracre is in his 26th season calling the play-by-play for Crusader basketball on the radio. In addition, Jeremy Lechan and Dick Lutsk are in their ninth year on the Holy Cross broadcast crew, and will handle either play-by-play or color commentary for selected games. All games aired on Emmanuel Radio can also be heard live over the internet by clicking here. Most games not carried on Emmanuel Radio will be streamed by Stretch Internet free of charge, with links to the broadcasts available by clicking here. WCHC 88.1 FM, the Holy Cross student station, will also carry a number of games this year.

CRUSADERS ON TELEVISION: Holy Cross will have at least seven games shown on live television during the 2012-2013 season. The Crusaders had seven television appearances last year, while appearing on television eight times in 2010-2011, nine times in 2009-2010, 10 times in 2008-2009, eight times in 2007-2008, 13 times in 2006-2007, 10 times in 2005-2006 and 10 times in 2004-2005. Here is a look at Holy Cross' television schedule for the 2012-2013 season:

PATRIOT LEAGUE ALL-ACCESS: Live video streaming of most Patriot League regular season games during the 2012-2013 season will be available over the internet through Patriot League All-Access. The package, done in association with CBS College Sports Online, is available for a monthly subscription. For details on how to sign up for Patriot League All-Access, click here.

CRUSADER VISION: Live video streaming of all 2012-2013 Holy Cross home non-conference games will be available over the internet through Crusader Vision. The package, done in association with Stretch Internet, is available for $8.95 per game. Season packages are also available for men's basketball only ($29.95) or all Holy Cross sports ($99.95). For details on how to view games through Crusader Vision, click here.

E-MAIL ALERTS: Get all the latest news and results on the Holy Cross men's basketball team sent directly to your e-mail. To sign up for e-mail alerts, click here.

SCOUTING THE LIONS: Columbia enters the contest with an overall record of 8-5 on the season. The Lions have won their last three games, and are coming off a 64-52 victory at Army on Saturday. Senior guard Brian Barbour currently leads the team by averaging 13.5 points, 5.2 assists and 3.4 rebounds per game. Freshman guard Grant Mullins has added 11.2 points and 3.0 rebounds per contest, while sophomore forward Alex Rosenberg is chipping in with 10.1 points and 4.7 rebounds per game. The Lions are led by Kyle Smith, who owns a career record of 38-33 in three seasons as Columbia's head coach. Smith previously served as an assistant coach at St. Mary's (Calif.), Air Force and San Diego.

DRIBBLES: Sophomore forward Taylor Abt (Darnestown, Md.) set new career highs with nine points and eight rebounds in the win over New Hampshire. After missing the first three games of the season due to injury, he in averaging 2.5 points and 2.1 rebounds per contest ... Freshman forward Christopher Morgan (Gloucester, Va.) scored a career-high six points at Providence, while hitting all three of his field goal attempts ... Former Crusader George Kaftan (Class of 1949) was selected as one of the 75 best players in the history of March Madness by the NCAA. In addition, the 1946-1947 Crusaders were chosen as one of the top 25 teams of all-time. Beginning in January, fans can vote on the top 15 all-time players and the best team at 'www.NCAA.com/MarchMadness'.

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